Akron Set for Showdown at Miami

Saturday, October 16

Oxford, Ohio

2:30 PM

University of Akron

Miami

October 13 | Football

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GAME NO. 7 - AKRON AT MIAMI NOTES (10/16)

Akron (2-4, 1-1 MAC) at Miami (2-4, 1-1 MAC)
Saturday, Oct. 16
Yager Stadium
Oxford, Ohio • 2:30 p.m.

Series History: Miami leads 20-9-1
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Television: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Radio: 640 WHLO AM (Dave Skoczen - pxp and Joe Dunn - color)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron football team continues Mid-American Conference play this Saturday, Oct. 16 as the Zips travel to Oxford, Ohio to battle Miami University. The 2:30 p.m. contest will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Jim Barbar and Marcus Ray calling the action with a link on GoZips.com.

HEAD COACHES
Miami: Chuck Martin (Milliken, 1990), overall record: 108-57 (14th Season)/record at Miami: 34-50 (Eighth Season)
Akron: Tom Arth (John Carroll, 2003), overall record - 52-42 (Ninth Season)/record at Akron - 3-21 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Miami leads, 20-9-1
Arth vs. Miami: 0-2, Miami def. Akron, 38-7 (Akron, Ohio - Nov. 28, 2020)
Last Meeting: Miami def. Akron, 38-7 (Akron, Ohio - Nov. 28, 2020
Last Meeting in Oxford: Miami def. Akron, 20-17 (Oxford, Ohio - Nov. 20, 2019)

Akron is meeting Miami for the 31st time in program history with the RedHawks owning a 20-9-1 series advantage. In the last meeting between the two schools, Miami registered a 38-7 triumph past Akron on Nov. 28, 2020 at InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field. The Zips and RedHawks last met in Oxford on Nov. 20, 2019 as Miami posted a 20-17 victory.

The series between the two schools dates back to the 1916 campaign when Miami earned a 23-6 road victory over Akron. The Zips and RedHawks have met every season since 2010 with Akron in search of its first road triumph over Miami since a 37-28 triumph during the 2015 campaign.

SCOUTING MIAMI
Miami comes into action versus Akron on the heels of a 13-12 setback at Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 9.

Sophomore QB Brett Gabbert and redshirt sophomore QB AJ Mayer have split the duties for the RedHawks this season having passed for 736 and 718 yards, respectively, while connecting on seven and three touchdowns through the air. Freshman RB Keyon Mozee owns a team-best 237 yards, while the duo of senior WR Jack Sorenson and redshirt junior WR Mac Hippenhammer have registered 452 and 412 yards, respectively, through the air en route to combining to score five of Miami's 10 receiving touchdowns.

Defensively, the duo of sophomore LB Ivan Pace, Jr. and redshirt freshman DB Matthew Salopek have combined to record 103 tackles, including posting 54 and 49 stops, respectively. Sophomore DL Lonnie Phelps owns team-high marks in tackles for a loss (6.5) and sacks (4.5).

As a unit, the RedHawks average 22.0 points per game, while registering 374.0 yards per game, including throwing for 242.3 yards and rushing for 131.7 yards per tilt.

Miami is ranked fifth in the NCAA in tackles for a loss (8.2), 10th in punt returns (17.00), 13th in passing yards per completion (15.15), 22nd in defensive touchdowns (2) and 36th in sacks (2.67). Individually, Mayer is ranked 15th in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (14.65), Pace Jr. is rated 26th in total tackles (9.0), Hippenhammer 35th in yards per reception (18.73) and Sorenson 35th in receiving touchdowns (4).

IN OUR LAST MEETING (NOV. 28, 2020 - AKRON, OHIO)
Playing at home for the first time in nearly a month, the Akron football team dropped a 38-7 decision to the visiting Miami RedHawks in an afternoon Mid-American Conference tilt on Nov. 28, 2020, at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.

The Zips were led by redshirt freshman QB Zach Gibson (Alpharetta, Ga.), who completed 16-of-27 passes for 141 yards, including a long pass completion of 20 yards to redshirt junior WR George Qualls, Jr. (Caruthersville, Mo.) and an 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore WR Michael Mathison (Covington, Ga.). Qualls finished the contest with a team-high 50 yards receiving on three catches.

The Zips also received a strong defensive effort from their linebacking corps, which saw redshirt junior LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) and redshirt junior LB Brandon Bischof (Akron, Ohio), combine for 20 tackles, with Arslanian accounting for 11.

The RedHawks outgained Akron on the afternoon, 416-145, led by a QB Brett Gabbert going 18-of-27 for 308 yards, including four touchdowns.

Miami opened the scoring with a four-play, 86-yard drive capped by a 61-yard touchdown pass from Gabbert to Jack Sorenson at the 9:28 mark of the opening quarter.

Miami extended its advantage to 10-0 with 11:42 before halftime with a 42-yard FG from Henry Beckett.

The margin became 17-0 at the 6:10 mark when Gabbert connected with Sorenson for a 29-yard touchdown.

The RedHawks entered the intermission leading 24-0 after Gabbert hit Sorenson for his third score of the first half, this time from 28 yards out with 1:17 left before halftime.

Gibson was 7-for-11 passing in the first half for 67 yards, with Qualls, Nate Stewart and freshman TE Tristian Brank (Asheville, N.C.) registering catches of 20, 17 and 16 yards, respectively.

Bischof and Arslanian paced the Zips with eight and seven first-half tackles, respectively.

On its second possession of the second half, Akron moved the ball into Miami territory buoyed by a pair of RedHawk penalties. Gibson hit WR Julian Hicks with a seven-yard competition on 3rd-and-7 to set up Akron at the Miami 35-yard line. The Zips were not able to capitalize as a sack took Akron out of field-goal range on the drive.

A 62-yard interception return for a touchdown by Emmanuel Rugamba gave the RedHawks a 31-0 advantage with 2:38 left in the third quarter.

Gabbert connected with Sorenson for a 15-yard touchdown for their fourth-scoring drive of the game with 11:37 remaining in the game to extend Miami's lead to 38-0.

The Zips started the ensuing drive on their own 26-yard line and went 74 yards on eight plays covering 3:24 to get on the scoreboard when Gibson connected with Mathison on an 11-yard touchdown pass with 8:08 left in the game.

A 17-yard run by Gibson moved the ball to the Miami 35-yard line before he followed with a 12-yard completion to redshirt freshman WR Shawn Naim (Brecksville, Ohio) to advance to the RedHawks' 23-yard line. After a penalty on Miami moved the ball the 13-yard line, Gibson connected with Mathison on the touchdown pass.

LAST GAME
The University of Akron football team scored 35 unanswered points to take a 35-13 lead by the fourth quarter and held on for a 35-20 win at Bowling Green in Mid-American Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 9.

Zips finished the contest with five takeaways, including three interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles en route to securing the victory. For the third consecutive game, junior CB Charles Amankwaa (Hillsborough, N.J.) registered an interception, while redshirt junior S Jaylen Kelly-Powell (Detroit, Mich.) and freshman CB Tyson Durant (Copley, Ohio) hauled in errant Bowling Green passes. Durant also had a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Senior QB Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) started behind center, completing 6-of-10 passes for 91 yards with a 47-yard long pass while leading the Zips' to their initial score. After the break, redshirt freshman QB Zach Gibson (Alpharetta, Ga.) entered the game and led the Zips to four consecutive touchdown drives. He completed 14-of-15 pass for 177 yards with three passing touchdowns and a 48-yard strike to freshman WR Konata Mumpfield (Hoschton, Ga.).

Mumpfield led the receiving corps with 106 yards on six receptions to go along with two touchdowns. Junior TE Nik Ognenovic (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) added the Zips' third receiving score with a 21-yard TD reception from Gibson.

On the ground, freshman RB Blake Hester (Ashland, Ky.) collected a career-high 120 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns.

Freshman LB Andrew Behm (Appleton, Wis.) led Akron's defensive efforts with 10 tackles while redshirt junior LB Michael Scott (Tallahassee, Fla.) followed with nine takedowns. The Zips registered four sacks as freshman LB Juan Jarrett (Cincinnati, Ohio) accounted for one and a half sacks for eight yards of loss. Durant and redshirt sophomore LB Jeslord Boateng (Dublin, Ohio) had one sack each while senior DL Zach Morton (Detroit, Mich.) had a half sack. Boateng finished with eight total tackles.

Bowling Green scored the game's initial 13 points with a touchdown and two field goals as QB Matt McDonald completed 21-of-35 passes for 257 yards with three interceptions and two touchdowns.

Akron outgained the Falcons 385-364 in total yards, while holding a 268-257 edge in the air and 117-107 on the ground.

DURANT NAMED AS MAC EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
University of Akron DB Tyson Durant was recognized by the Mid-American Conference as its MAC East Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday, Oct. 11.

Durant turned in a career game to help spark the Zips to a come-from-behind 35-20 victory at Bowling Green on Saturday, Oct. 9. Durant finished the contest with a career-high four tackles, including three solo stops and recorded his first career sack, interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery.

With the Falcons up 13-7 in the second quarter and driving at the Akron 24-yard line, Durant intercepted the Matt McDonald pass at the 12-yard line and returned the ball 17 yards to thwart the scoring drive and allow the Zips to enter the intermission down only six, 13-7. In the fourth quarter he garnered his first career sack, a 10-yard loss, and in the process stripped the ball from McDonald's hand and recovering the ball.

ZIP TIDBITS
• With his interception versus Bowling Green, DB Charles Amankwaa has now picked off a pass for Akron in three consecutive games. He leads the Zips with a trio of interceptions on the campaign.
• WR Konata Mumpfield registered a career-high 106 yards receiving, with a pair of touchdown catches at Bowling Green on Oct. 9. He joined teammate Michael Mathison with a 100-yard receiving game this season.
• RB Blake Hester posted a career-best 120 yards rushing and garnered a pair of touchdown runs at Bowling Green on Oct. 9, while QB Zach Gibson threw a career-high three touchdowns for the Zips.
• LB Andrew Behm recorded a career- and game-high 10 tackles for Akron.
• TE Nik Ognenovic added his first career catch as a Zip with a 21-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.
• Akron garnered five turnovers at Bowling Green on Oct. 9, its highest single-game total since Toledo committed five total turnovers in the Mid-American Conference Championship game on Dec. 2, 2017.
• TE Tristian Brank scored his first career touchdown with a nine-yard reception in the third quarter against Ohio on Oct. 2. He culminated his day posting three catches for 23 yards.
• S Jaylen Kelly-Powell led the Zips in tackles versus Ohio on Oct. 2 with career-high marks in tackles (11), solo tackles (5) and assists (6).
• Registering their first career sacks at Akron against Ohio on Oct. 2 was redshirt sophomore LB Reggie Corner, Jr., who posted a solo sack for six yards of loss, while LB Brandon Bischof and DL Zach Morton combined on a sack.
• Twenty different Zips registered a tackle versus Ohio on Oct. 2, including a career-high 10 tackles from freshman S Ronald Jackson, Jr. (Detroit, Mich.).
• WR Konata Mumpfield has scored a touchdown in five consecutive games and five of Akron's six games this season, including a 45-yard scoring strike from DJ Irons against Ohio on Oct. 2.
• LB Bubba Arslanian registered his 250th career tackle with his first stop at Ohio State on Sept. 25.
• RB Blake Hester established career-best marks in rushes (20) and rushing yards (124) versus Bowling Green on Oct. 9, while setting career marks in receptions (3) and receiving yards (22) against Ohio State on Sept. 25.
• Akron's 514 yards of total offense versus Bryant represented the Zips' highest total since registering 626 against Savannah State on Sept. 19, 2015.
•WR Michael Mathison leads the Zips in catches (30), while ranking second in receiving yards (330) this season and has garnered 68, 101, 61, 17, 59 and 24 yards, respectively, in Akron's six games this season.
• ILB Jeslord Boateng ranks second on the team in total tackles (39) and assists (23) and third in solo stops (16), while leading the Zips in tackles for a loss (4.0).
• Akron is 15-of-21 in the red zone this season, including 12 touchdowns and a trio of field goals this season after going 12-for-14 a year ago with nine touchdowns.
• Akron is rated 11th in the NCAA in time of possession (33:02) and fewest penalties per game (4.50), 13th in completion percentage (.690) and in fewest penalty yards per contest (39.17), 21st in fewest penalties (27), 33rd in team passing efficiency (153.86), 39th in recovered turnovers (9), 41st in fumbles recovered (4) and 48th in interceptions (5).
• WR Konata Mumpfield is ranked 12th in the NCAA in receiving touchdowns (6), while QB DJ Irons is rated 18th in the NCAA in completion percentage (.709), 27th in passing efficiency (159.9), 44th in points responsible for per game (12.0).

UP NEXT
The University of Akron football team welcomes Buffalo to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field for a 3:30 p.m. tilt on Oct. 23.